Indian Embassy Says Russia Has Not Confirmed the Fate of Telangana Man Mohammed Afzal Khan

The Indian embassy in Moscow has sought the release of four Telangana-origin men from the Russian army, but Russian authorities have neither confirmed the whereabouts of Mohammed Afzal Khan nor verified reports of his death, the Times of India reported on October 12, 2026. The embassy said it was informed that Khan had joined the Russian army as a Russian citizen and was holding a Russian passport.

We previously reported on the four men - Khan, Bhukya Ravinder, Sirisu Ashok (named Bhukya Ashok in NDTV's reporting), and Megavath Prakash - whose families say they took a civilian job offer in Russia and were instead taken to a forest, armed, and put through military training. In an email response to a petition, Hardesh Giri, the embassy's first secretary (consular), said the embassy has taken the matter up with Russia's defence ministry. "The embassy has not yet received any information from the Russian authorities regarding his whereabouts or demise," he wrote, promising further updates once a response arrives.

Families Say It's a Job Fraud

In a representation sent to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on October 2, Majlis Bachao Tahreek spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan asked for intervention on behalf of the four men, whose families are from the Kamareddy and Nizamabad districts of Telangana. He said the families approached him after the men travelled to Russia on promises of employment allegedly made by travel or job agents. According to the families, the men were later forced to work under or for the Russian military.

A Recruiter Says It Was Voluntary

One of the recruiters for the Russian army, Nadezhda, told the Times of India by phone that the men were Russian citizens who had signed military contracts using Russian passports. She claimed they had formally renounced Indian citizenship in the presence of an interpreter and a notary, and said the process was voluntary: "No one forces them to do so, and no one misleads them!" She declined to share names or details of serving personnel and alleged that videos circulating about Russian servicemen were part of a "disinformation campaign by enemy intelligence agencies".

Ashok Says He Was Injured and Captured

Meanwhile, Ashok, who is serving in the Russian army, has claimed he was injured in a drone attack near Selydove in Ukraine's Donetsk region. In audio messages to his wife, Saritha, he alleged he was captured after the attack and was being held captive, though he did not say who was holding him. Saritha said she received the messages along with a photograph showing an injury to his leg. Ashok also claimed that several Indians were injured and some killed in the attack, including a Hyderabad man whose identity could not be established.

The Pattern

Russia has been promising to stop its military recruitment in India since 2024 -  in July that year, Vladimir Putin agreed to facilitate the release of Indians who had allegedly been deceived into joining the Russian military. In 2026 Kremlin spokesman Peskov reconfirmed the promise - however it is still unclear whether the Russian side is planning to fulfill it anytime soon. 

A Safe Way Out

Indians and other foreign nationals lured into Russia's armed forces have an option to safely escape the battlefield with Ukraine's "I Want to Live" project. See our FAQ for more details.